Improvement in leather-boards for use in the manufacture of shoes



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN MOORE AND HOMER ROGERS, OF SUDBURY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN LEATHER-BOARDS FOR USE IN THE MANUFACTURE OF SHOE, &c.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 154,185, dated August 18, 1874 application filed 1 June 19, 1874.

for use in the manufacture of shoes or various other articles, of which the following is a specification:

In carrying out our invention we saturate the leather or leather-board with a solution of rosin and benzine, or a petroleum distillation of like character, the solution used having the consistency of ordinary varnish, and made so as to soon dry or harden in and on the leather. The leather or leather-board is to be dipped in the solution, or it may have the solution spread over it. The resinous solution readily penetrates the leather or leather-board, fills up its interstices or pores, and when dry not only stifiens it and toughens it, but renders it water-proof and better adaptable for use in making heel counters or stiffeners or other parts of shoes than it would be without such saturation. Besides, very poor qualities of leather or leathenboard unfit for use in various parts of a shoe without being prepared as above described may be utilized or rendered useful by being so saturated with the rosin dissolved in the benzine or coal-oil distillate.

Counters and heel-stiffeners, when made of leather or leather-board so combined with rosin, will, by being water-proof, maintain theirstifl'ness when the shoes are wet, and, consequently, are not so liable to be broken down.

We would observe that the proportions of the constituents of the solutionmay be one pound of rosin to one gallon of the benzine or distillate, though we do not-confine our invention to such, varying them more or less, as the kind and quality of the leather orleatherboard may require, for the use to which it is to be put. The resinated article or composition of leather or leather-board and rosin, wherein the rosin is carried by the benzine into and through and fixed to the leather or leather-board differs materially in character and quality from the leather or leather-board in its normal condition.

The leather or leather-board maybe treated with the composition before or after being worked up into any desirable form. In most cases we prefer to do it after it has been worked up, for the reason that the quality of stiffness imparted by it is then not weakened by the manipulation required to give the desired forms. Where the form required is not irregular it is immaterial whether done before or after. In the manufacture of articles for shoes-as counters, toes, and shankswe emlploy suitable machinery for producing the orm.

We are aware that rosin has been combined with fish-oil, india-rubber, (dissolved in petroleum, turpentine, or liquid naphtha,) pitch, bees-wax, tallow, soap, and lard, for the production of a composition for the surface of leather, such being as described in the United States Patent No. 31,453. We are also aware that rosin has been combined with coal-oil, tar, paraffine-oil, chloride of sodium, soap, and ivory-black, in order to form a composition to be applied to leather. (See the United States Patent N 0. 92,924.)

In carrying out our invention, we simply employ rosin and benzine, or a petroleum distillate oflike character, and do not make use of any oil, wax, or mineral or other matter, such as will operate to soften the leather or leather-looard, our object being to harden or stifl'en it, and to saturate it with the composition, many if not all the matters described in the aforesaid patents as used with the rosin and the distillate or reducingliquid serving not only to hinder the passage of the rosin into or through the leather, but to accomplish results it is our purpose expressly to avoid. Therefore we make no claim to either of the compositions as mentioned in either of the two patents last referred to, our invention involving the saturating of the leather or leatherboard with the resinating-liquid, the combi nation of the two producing a very stifl' and hard article for use, as specified.

We claim- As a new manufacture, leather or leatherboard prepared or saturated, as described, with a solution of rosin and aliquid distillate of petroleum, alLas set forth.

STEPHEN MOORE. HOMER ROGERS.

Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, J. R. Snow. 

